You might’ve scrolled past today’s #COVID19 update. Or maybe you've become numb to the numbers.

But outbreaks thrive on complacency! As many turn their attention to the election, we cannot underestimate the very worrisome nature of this worsening pandemic in the US...

THREAD https://twitter.com/COVID19Tracking/status/1317235653990477825

Today the US passed 8 million confirmed cases. At ~20% of the world's total, that's a staggering toll.

And the 68k new cases today represents the highest daily toll since the end of July. It's also the 7th highest total EVER.

"Yeah, but there's more testing" some will argue.

But it's not just the daily tolls - it's the trends.

The last time we hit 68k cases, we had begun a downward trend.

But there is absolutely no mistaking the fact that we are on a steep upslope.

And not just in cases, but also test positivity and hospitalizations as well.

Even if case numbers fluctuate a bit with testing, it's hard to deny the significance of rising hospitalizations.

We started October with ~30k hospitalized.

Two weeks later and we're at 37k.

The rise is greatest in the Midwest and the northern plains.

And in the hardest hit places like Wisconsin, field hospitals are being set up to deal with the influx.

But most other parts of the country seeing major case and hospitalization upticks as well.

In the last week, hospitalization numbers have increased in 42 states (!).

Unlike earlier in the pandemic when we saw specific regions hit hard, communities all across the country are awash in virus right now.

In the past week alone, 17 states posted record numbers of new cases. And not a single state is in the WH Coronavirus Task Force's 'green zone'.

We've also seen deaths plateau at ~700/day. That means we're still registering almost 5k deaths a week from COVID19 in the US, despite advances in clinical care & treatments.

COVID19 is now the 3rd leading cause of death in the US. And as hospitalizations rise, deaths will too.

As we go into fall & winter, these numbers will all undoubtedly rise unless we all act now to keep them down.

We know what works - physical distancing, masks, hand hygiene, good ventilation.

If we fail to act, the US may be reporting >100k cases per day in the coming months.

We need all of us to act, together, to get this pandemic under control.

But we also need public health leadership. The CDC - muzzled during this pandemic - needs to be out front, communicating with the American people.

Partisanship doesn't end outbreaks. https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-the-fall-of-the-cdc

Some will say I'm being a #COVID19 fear-monger. But Ive seen what happens when case and hospitalization numbers get out of control.

If this virus finds you, it will infect you. And the majority of people will be fine. But many won't.

We can all do better. We all deserve better.